High Extent Research Articles

"Occupational Safety Education Programmes for Managing WorkRelated Stress among Adult Education Lecturers in Public Universities in Rivers State"

The study examined occupational safety education programmes for managing work-related stress among Adult Education lecturers in public universities in Rivers State. To achieve the purpose of the study, the study developed three (3) objectives of the study, research questions and hypotheses that guided the conduct of the study. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The area of the study was Port Harcourt Metropolis in Rivers State. The population of the study was made up of 45 Adult Education lecturers in public universities in Rivers State, (Rivers State University, University of Port Harcourt and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education). The entire population of this study was taken as census without sampling. This is because it is small and manageable. The instrument used for the study was a structured questionnaire titled: “Occupational Safety Education Programmes for Managing WorkRelated Stress Questionnaire. The instrument was validated by two experts. A test of internal consistency using Cronbach Alpha method was used for the reliability of the instrument. Cumulative reliability coefficient of 0.82was obtained showing the instrument was reliable.The research questions were analysed using mean and standard deviation statistics while the null hypotheses were tested using z-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the analysis, the study revealed that occupational safety education on health, unsafe act auditing and good housekeeping helps in managing work-related stress among Adult Education lecturers in public universities in Rivers State to a high extent. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that the university authorities in collaboration with the universities and external medical centres should organize health seminars, conferences and workshops on the need for regular medical checkups, proper nutrition and eating habits, regular exercises, good sleeping habits, importance of vacations and discourage self medication. However, it was also concluded that occupational safety education programmes on health, unsafe act auditing and good housekeeping, are found to help lecturers manage these work-related stress to a high extent.

"Influence of Environmental Education Programmes on Solid Waste Management among Residents of Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State "

The study examined the influence of environmental education programmes on solid waste management among residents in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State. The study was guided by three objectives from which three research questions and null hypotheses were derived. The study was anchored on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The study adopted the descriptive survey design with a population of 2,500 stakeholders in solid waste management in Rivers State. Out of which 550 respondents were sampled using the proportionate stratified sampling technique. The instrument for data collection a self-designed questionnaire titled “Influence of Environmental Education Programmes on Proper Solid Waste Management Questionnaire”. The instrument was validated by three experts. The reliability of the instrument was established using the Cronbach Alpha method. A cumulative reliability index of 0.73 was obtained. Data collected for this study were analyzed using the mean statistics, standard deviation and T-test statistics. Findings of the study revealed that health literacy, pollution education and climate change education programmes enhance proper solid waste management among residents in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State to a high extent. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that the Rivers State Waste Management Agency should partner with the Ministry of Health to organize periodic health literacy programmes to educate residents on the impact of improper waste disposal on their health. This will lead to better waste management practices among residents.

Dimensies van kommunikasieklimaat in die formele organisasie

THE purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions of communication climate. To achieve this purpose a theoretical construct in respect of communication climate, based on a literature survey, was finalised. A questionnaire covering the various dimensions of this theoretical construct was then drawn up. The questionnaire was completed by a sample of 250 people within a single organization. The main dimensions of communication climate as measured by the questionnaire were isolated by means of factor and item analyses. The results of these analyses confirmed the nature of the conceptual construct to a high extent. The questionnaire did not however succeed in identifying all dimensions. To alleviate the shortcomings of this study, a number of re- commendations for further research are made.

Instructional Approaches, Entrepreneurial Competencies Development and Business Education Students’ Intention to be Self-Employed after Graduating from Degree Awarding Institutions in Rivers State

This study investigated instructional approaches, entrepreneurial competencies development and Business Education students’ intention to be self-employed after graduating from degree awarding institutions in Rivers State. Four specific purposes, three research questions and one hypothesis were posed to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design using quantitative approach was adopted for this study. The population and sample of the study was made up of 359 undergraduate final year Business Education students from four degree awarding institutions in Rivers State who offered Entrepreneurship Education during the 2020/2021 academic year. A researcher’s developed structured questionnaire was used for the study. The face validated instrument was subjected to reliability using Cronbach Alpha. The computation gave an average reliability index of 0.76 for the three clusters within the instrument. Only 342 copies of the instrument administered were successfully filled and retrieved from the respondents, this was made up of 95% of the entire number of copies administered. Data collected for the study were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that instructional approaches used for Entrepreneurship Education are conventional approach and experiential approach. The results also revealed that Business Education students agreed to have developed entrepreneurial competencies after being exposed to entrepreneurship education. The results also revealed that to a high extent Business Education students exposed to EE intend to be self-employed after graduation and this was significantly predicted by the instructional approaches used for EE and the entrepreneurial competencies developed by Business Education students. Based on the findings, the following recommendation was among others, that Centre for Entrepreneurship Development in degree awarding institutions in collaboration with Entrepreneurship Educators should provide opportunity for Business Education students to exploit adding value to local products through innovative competition as this will go a long way to stimulate their interest in taking risk and learning through fun.

Solid‐State Structures of Primary Long‐Chain Alkylamine Borane Adducts – Synthesis, Properties and Computational Analysis

AbstractTwo new members of the amine boranes family are hexadecylamine borane C16H33NH2BH3 (C16AB) and octadecylamine borane C18H35NH2BH3 (C18AB). They are easily synthesized by reaction of the corresponding amines with borane dimethyl sulfide. Both are white solids; they are crystalline and isostructural (monoclinic, s.g. P21/a (No. 14)). Their successful synthesis has been verified by molecular (FTIR, Raman, NMR) and structural analyses as well as computational calculations (e. g. Mulliken charges). These analyses have also pointed out the existence of dihydrogen bonds between Hδ+ of NH2 of one molecule and Hδ− of BH3 of another molecule. The thermal stability of C16AB and C18AB was studied. Both solids melts at 70–80 °C; between 100 and ca. 210 °C they dehydrogenate while releasing 1.1‐1.4 wt% of pure H2; and, above 210 °C, they decompose in high extent. All of these findings may open the way to future works on molecular self‐assembly, synthesis of advanced materials and hydrogen storage. This is discussed hereafter.

Identification a Novel Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Anti-CD38-Based Treatment Resistance in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Introduction: Anti-CD38 antibody (Daratumumab (DARA)/Isatuximab (ISA))-mediated therapy is now used in combination therapies to treat both newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Despite a high extent and frequency of response to DARA/ISA containing therapy, MM patient relapse is still common. Several resistance mechanisms to DARA/ISA have been reported including MM cell clonal selection towards reduced CD38 expression; loss of MM cell surface CD38 upon the formation of a CD38-DARA complex leading to immunosuppression; and immunomodulatory effects after the DARA/ISA treatment via the downregulation of intracellular signaling pathways in bone marrow stromal cells. Given the widespread use of anti-CD38-directed treatment in MM, the identification of anti-CD38 based treatment resistance is an urgent clinical need. Methods/results: To understand the underlying molecular mechanism of anti-CD38-based treatment resistance, we assessed post-transcriptional alterations on CD38 transcripts. We performed total and single-cell RNA sequencing of six samples from MM patients treated with DARA/ISA in combination with other MM drugs. Specifically, we examined mRNA splicing aberrations on the CD38 transcripts in 44 MM patient plasma cells (PCs). Four CD38 splice variants (CD38-Va, -Vb, -Vc, and Vd (CD38 SpVs)) were identified in CD138+PCs from DARA-resistant patient samples. These CD38-SpVs are the result of one or more cassette-exon splicing. Some of these splicing events cause in-frame shifts, which lead to the activation of a cryptic stop codon on the CD38 transcript and encode truncated proteins. The cryptic stop codon location at the specific proximity of the exon-intron junction, allowing these transcripts escaping degradation via non-sense mediated decay. In MM PCs, CD38 splice variant transcripts were overexpressed at different levels (2-4 fold) in various combinations with one or more novel splice variants and CD38 full-length (CD38-FL) transcripts. These splice variants were absent in MM PCs from BM aspirates from age-matched healthy donors. Next, we evaluated the expression of the CD38 SpVs and FL transcripts in PCs from MM patients at the time they were sensitive to DARA/ISA treatment and when resistance developed. We identified CD38 splice variant transcripts that were selectively expressed MM PCs at the time of resistance to DARA/ISA treatment. We also identified CD38 splice variant transcripts that are overexpressed in DARA/ISA treatment-sensitive patient samples. Our findings were further validated in DARA resistant patient sample by single-cell RNA-seq analysis, which showed overexpression of CD38Vb in >80% of PCs. We identified splice site mutations that contribute to the expression of CD38 SpVs. To evaluate whether CD38 aberrant splicing is associated with DARA resistance, we generated a KMS11 DARA-resistant cell line (KMS11 DARA-Res) and evaluated the expression of splice variants in these cells. This analysis demonstrated that KMS11DARA-Res over-express CD38 SpVs. To determine whether CD38 splice variants encode functional proteins, we cloned, sequenced, and stably expressed CD38 SpVs transcripts into H929 cells (H929-CD38 SpVs). CD38 SpVs expressions were evaluated by flow cytometry and live cell imaging. These analyses demonstrated that CD38 SpVs encode proteins. Importantly, CD38 splice variant protein folding analyses showed that splicing alterations abrogate DARA/ISA binding sites. Then, to evaluate the functional effects of aberrant splicing of CD38 in MM cells, we carried out DARA/ISA binding assays and evaluated cell killing with ADCC assays in H929- CD38SpV cells. Importantly, these analyses showed that both DARA/ISA binding and ADCC was lost in H929-CD38SpV cells. Conclusions: We identified a novel molecular mechanism that underlies the resistance to anti-CD38-based treatment, both DARA and ISA. By this mechanism, CD38 cognate epitopes are removed from the cell surface of MM cells without an entire disposal of the target protein. The existence of such splicing-based mechanisms of resistance indicates that other antibody-based therapeutics or future CARs should be developed against CD38 epitopes that are created as a result of splicing. This approach may allow for selective targeting of MM PCs while spearing other CD38 expressing normal cells, enhancing cytotoxicity and improving therapeutic index.

Genome-Wide CRISPR-Cas9 Screen Identifies KDM6A As a Modulator of Daratumumab Sensitivity in Multiple Myeloma

Daratumumab (Dara) is the first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting CD38, which triggers both direct and immune-mediated cytotoxicity of multiple myeloma (MM) cells in the bone marrow (BM) milieu. Importantly, Dara combination therapies have a high frequency and extent of response in both relapsed/refractory and newly diagnosed MM. However, relapse is commonly observed due to the development of Dara resistance. As an immune-targeting drug, the anti-tumor activity of Dara is closely associated with the expression of CD38, with nonresponders having a lower expression of CD38. To identify novel regulators mediating CD38 expression and Dara sensitivity in MM cells, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (KO) screen in vitro. We identified 46 different sgRNAs that were positively correlated with MM cytotoxicity triggered by Dara and primary NK cells. Using the cells with the lowest expression of CD38 (bottom 5%), we performed a second round of screening and found that KDM6A was the top-ranked gene out of the set of overlapping genes from these two screenings. We confirmed that CD38 expression was significantly decreased (>2 times, p<0.01) by KDM6A KO and that re-introducing KDM6A into KDM6A KO cells restored the expression level of CD38 and Dara-induced cytotoxicity. KDM6A encodes lysine-specific demethylase 6A, which demethylates lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27) to promote gene expression. To confirm that CD38 expression was altered by the methylation status of H3K27, we compared the CD38 promoter area between KDM6A KO and control cells using ChIP-seq and ChIP qPCR and found that the H3K27me3 level was higher in KDM6A KO cells. H3K27 is methylated by EZH2, and we found that EZH2 inhibitor treatment significantly decreased the H3K27me3 level of the CD38 promoter area. Moreover, EZH2 inhibitor treatment upregulated both CD38 mRNA and protein expression in KDM6A KO cells. Importantly, EZH2 inhibitor also restored the sensitivity of KDM6A KO cells to Dara-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity in vitro and in xenograft mouse model. We next re-introduced CD38 into KDM6A KO cells and found that CD38 overexpression only partially restored the sensitivity of KDM6A KO cells to Dara treatment. This suggested that besides CD38 downregulation, there are other mechanisms underlying Dara resistance induced by KDM6A KO. We performed RNA-seq in KDM6A KO cells and found that CD48, an NK-activating ligand, was downregulated. Overexpression of CD48 in KDM6A KO cells significantly increased secretion of Granzyme B and Perforin, restoring the activity of NK cells and re-sensitizing KDM6A KO cells to Dara treatment. These data suggest that KDM6A not only regulates CD38 expression, but also NK cell activity by CD48 regulation, thereby modulating the efficacy of Dara. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that KDM6A regulates CD38 and CD48 expression in MM. Moreover, we validate that combination treatment with FDA-approved EZH2 inhibitor and Dara can overcome Dara resistance in preclinical MM models, providing the rationale for combination clinical trials to overcome Dara resistance and improve patient outcome.

Embracing Online Learning: The Readiness and Perceived Challenges among Health Sciences Distance Learners

Introduction: The shifting of conventional to online learning is prominent in our millennial era. The online pedagogy is dynamic in creating knowledge and simultaneously engaging learners with experts beyond boundaries. Our study aims to determine the readiness of distance learners in embracing online learning and their perceived challenge in accomplishing their academic journey. Methods: We employed the quantitative study design with a cross-sectional survey and this study was conducted in a public university. The health sciences learners who are currently undertaking their distance learning program were recruited by convenience sampling (N=128). The Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) was adopted with its internal consistency ranging from 0.77 to 0.95 for five dimensions of measure. Results: Our results indicate a high level of online learning readiness. In addition, the highest level of readiness in the dimension of computer/internet self-efficacy whereas the least level was the learners’ control. Sixty-eight percent of learners reported poor internet connectivity as the main challenge in online learning. Moreover, we found that gender, age, and the learners’ program were not the significant factors affecting learners’ online learning readiness (p&gt;.05). Conclusion: Our study revealed a high extent of online learning readiness among distance learners that display constructive embracing of current educational technology. Nevertheless, considering the poor internet connection, communication infrastructure needs to be further developed to bridge the gap between millennial learners and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Semi-IPN hydrogels of collagen and gum arabic with antibacterial capacity and controlled release of drugs for potential application in wound healing.

The preparation of hydrogels based on biopolymers like collagen and gum arabic gives a chance to provide novel options that can be used in biomedical field. Through a polymeric semi-interpenetration technique, collagen-based polymeric matrices can be associated with gum arabic while controlling its physicochemical and biological properties. To create novel hydrogels with their potential use in the treatment of wounds, the semi-interpenetration process, altering the concentration (0-40% by wt) of gum arabic in a collagen matrix is explored. The ability of gum arabic to create intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the collagen matrix enables the development of semi-interpenetrating polymeric networks (semi-IPN)-based hydrogels with a faster gelation time and higher crosslinking. Amorphous granular surfaces with linked porosity are present in matrices with 30% (by wt) of gum arabic, enhancing the storage modulus and thermal degradation resistance. The hydrogels swell to very high extent in hydrolytic and proteolytic environments, good hemocompatibility, and suppression of growth of pathogens like E. coli, and all it is enhanced by gum arabic included them, in addition to enabling the controlled release of ketorolac. The chemical composition of theses semi-IPN matrices have no deleterious effects on monocytes or fibroblasts, promoting their proliferation, and lowering alpha tumor necrosis factor (α-TNF) secretion in human monocytes.

Indosinian magmatism and mineralization in the Banjiaoyuan tin deposit, middle Nanling Range, South China: Constraints from zircon and cassiterite U-Pb ages, geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions

Indosinian W-Sn metallogeny associated with granites in South China has been reported in recent years by many researchers. However, the refined genetic relations between these deposits and the related granites remain unclear in most areas, and the tectonic setting of Indosinian magmatism and W-Sn mineralization are still widely controversial. The Banjiaoyuan tin deposit is located in the east vicinity of Yangmingshan pluton in the middle Nanling Range, South China. The granitic stocks in this deposit comprise two intrusive episodes, i.e., the first episode of medium-coarse-grained porphyritic tourmaline-biotite monzogranite (G1), and the second episode of micron-fine-grained tourmaline-muscovite monzogranite (G2). LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating gives weighted ages of 226.9 ± 1.6 Ma to 223.8 ± 1.9 Ma for G1, and 224.3 ± 2.0 Ma for G2, respectively. LA-MC-ICP-MS cassiterite U-Pb dating yields Tera-Wasserburg concordia age of 216.7 ± 2.4 Ma for tin mineralization. These ages indicate that both the granitic magmatism and related mineralization were initiated in the late Indosinian period. All the granites have high SiO2, Al2O3, P2O5 contents, and low TFeO, CaO, MgO, TiO2 contents, indicating that the granites are highly differentiated S-type granites, and furthermore, the high DI and Rb, K, U, Hf, Sm, low SI and Ba, Sr, Ti, TREE further show that the granites have undergone high extent of differentiation and evolution. High Rb/Nb and K/Nb ratios, low Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf ratios, widely varying CaO/Na2O ratios, low and uniform εNd(t) values, and dominantly negative and relatively dispersed εHf(t) values jointly indicate that the granites were derived from a heterogeneous mixture of calcium-poor mudstone and calcium-rich psammite (or metamorphic igneous rocks) in the crust. The known Indosinian W-Sn deposits in South China are more closely related to S-type granites than to I-type granites, suggesting that their ore-forming materials are mainly derived from the crust. In addition, individual positive εHf(t) values indicate that a small amount of newborn crustal components were involved in the formation of granitic magma. Compared with G1, G2 differs distinctly in petrological, chemical and isotopic characteristics, especially it is more richer in F content and contains magmatic cassiterite and wolframite crystals, suggesting that G2 have undergone higher extent of differentiation and evolution, and are much more closely related to the Sn-W mineralization than G1. The late Indosinian granites in this deposit were formed in post-collisional extensional tectonic environment, while the early Indosinian granites intruded in the Yangmingshan area were formed in syn-collision compression environment. Based on the statistics, the metallogenic ages of Indosinian W-Sn deposits in South China are between 212 and 230 Ma, and the petrogenetic ages of related granites are between 211 and 230 Ma, both age groups belong to the late Indosinian period, representing a regional large-scale granitic magma intrusion and mineralization event that initiated in post-collisional extensional tectonic environment.

Learning Behavior towards Modular Instruction, Sex, and Academic Performance in English of Grade 7 Public High School Students

Learning behavior is accounted to be pivotal to academic success. During the pandemic, concerns about students’ learning behavior toward Printed Modular Distance Learning (PMDL) modality were put to consideration. Thus, using descriptive-correlational analysis, this study examined the extent of learning behavior (LB) in English PMDL of 242 Grade 7 students in a district in Northern Negros. The level of English academic performance was identified and correlated with the extent of LB. For data collection, an English test and a contextualized LB Scale were given. Using percentage, weighted mean, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman rank correlation, the results yielded a high extent of LB toward English PMDL and an average level of academic performance as a whole and by sex. The difference in the extent of Attention-Persistence behavior was insignificant in terms of sex while females’ extent of Competence-Motivation, Attitude toward Learning, and Strategy/Flexibility were significantly higher than males. The level of English academic performance was also insignificant according to sex. Lastly, no correlation was found between learners’ extent of LB in PMDL and the level of English academic performance. Although learners still fell short in achieving higher academic performance in consideration of stronger interplaying factors, the findings still shed light on the learners’ status during pandemic where positive behaviors were displayed. The findings may serve as basis to revisit the PMDL implementation, and craft contextualized English 7 materials and enhancement programs to fill the language gaps of learners during the school year.

Linguistic spin in randomized controlled trials about age-related macular degeneration.

To evaluate the prevalence, type and extent of linguistic spin in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring interventions in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as to investigate whether study variables were correlated with linguistic spin. PubMed was searched from 2011 to 2020 to identify RCTs including patients with AMD. Two authors independently assessed a total of 96 RCTs. Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate whether linguistic spin was correlated with predefined study variables. Linguistic spin was found in 61 of 96 abstracts (63.5%) and in 90 of 96 main texts (93.8%). Use of words pointing out the beneficial effect of a treatment and the use of '(statistically) significant/significance' without reporting a P-value or a 95% confidence interval (CI) were the most frequently identified categories of linguistic spin. Sample size was significantly correlated with the total linguistic spin score (95% CI 0.38-5.23, P = 0.02). A high prevalence and extent of linguistic spin in RCTs about AMD was found. We highlighted the importance of objective reporting and awareness of linguistic spin among ophthalmologists and other readers.

Detection and Analysis of Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli Bacteria Isolated from Children in Baghdad

Urinary tract infections are common diseases and Escherichia coli is the most common cause of this disease, especially in infants and children. The 200 samples were collected for the period from July to December 2020 from the Central Children’s Hospital in Baghdad from infants and children and cultured on MacConkey and blood agar for primary isolation of E. coli bacteria. The VITEK 2 system was used for biochemical tests and final identification. Antibiotic susceptibility for 16 antibiotics was determined using the VITEK 2 system, as well as the ability for biofilm formation using the tissue culture plate method, while DNA was isolated for molecular antibiotic resistance genes tetA, tetB, CITM, sul1, sul2, and sul3 using the standard polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that 40/62 isolates (64%) belonged to E. coli bacteria (32 females and 8 males), and isolates were of varying resistance to antibiotics, with the highest resistance to ampicillin and sulfamethoxazole and the lowest resistance to tigecycline and most MDR. The percentage of biofilm formation ability was 62.5%. The ratio of resistance genes CITM, tetA, tetB, sul1, and sul2 for E. coli bacteria was 5%, 45%, 12.5%, 35%, and 40%, respectively, while the sul3 gene did not appear in isolation from any clinical local isolation. So, E. coli isolates isolated from children showed a high extent of antibiotic resistance as the genetic sequencing of resistance genes showed that there were many mutations with a type of transmission or silence or transition. In conclusion, E. coli isolated from children was highly resistant to antibiotics and had the ability to form biofilms as well as the presence of a resistance gene that could be transmitted among bacteria and spread antibiotic resistance.

Luminal and Tumor-Associated Gut Microbiome Features Linked to Precancerous Lesions Malignancy Risk: A Compositional Approach.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Human gut microbiome plays important roles in protecting against it, as well as contributing to its onset and progression. Identification of specific bacterial taxa associated with early stages of colorectal cancer may help develop effective microbiome-based diagnostics. For precancerous lesions, links of their characteristics to luminal and tumor-associated microbiome composition are to be elucidated. Paired stool and tumor brush biopsy samples were collected from 50 patients with precancerous lesions and early forms of colon cancer; their microbial communities were profiled using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. We showed that the microbiome differences between stool and biopsy samples can be to a high extent computationally corrected. Compositionality-aware statistical analysis of microbiome composition revealed its associations with the number of lesions, lesion type, location and malignization pathway. A major determinant of precancerous lesions malignancy risk-the number of lesions-was positively associated with the abundance of H2S-producing taxa. Our results contribute to the basis for developing early non-invasive colorectal cancer diagnostics via identifying microorganisms likely participating in early stages of cancer pathogenesis.

High Prevalence of Undocumented SARS-CoV-2 Infections in the Pediatric Population of the Tyrolean District of Schwaz.

Complementing the adult seroprevalence data collected at the time of the rapid SARS-CoV-2 mass vaccination in the district of Schwaz in 2021, we set out to establish the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among the pediatric population of the district. A total of 369 children, mean age 9.9 (SD 3.4), participated in the study, answering a structured questionnaire on the history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, household contacts, symptoms and history of vaccination. We determined binding and neutralizing antibody levels using plasma samples provided. We estimated the overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general pediatric population at the time of the study using the census data from Statistik Austria and daily reports of officially confirmed cases. Excluding study participants who reported a history of PCR-confirmed infection, the age-standardized seroprevalence of previously unknown SARS-CoV-2 infection among the general pediatric population of the district was 27% (95% CI: 26.1–27.8). Adding this to the officially documented cases, the true overall prevalence was 32.8% (95% CI: 31.9–33.6) in contrast to the officially documented 8.0% (95% CI: 7.5–8.5) by June 2021. This translated into a proportion of 75.7% (95% CI: 74.4–77.0) of cases being officially undocumented, suggesting a high extent of silent SARS-CoV-2 infections in the pediatric population and possibly silent transmission.

On the origin of vesuvianite-rich rodingites from the Western Carpathians, Slovakia

Rodingite represents a particular metasomatic rock type that occurs as dykes or lenses in association with serpentinized ultramafic rocks and typically consists of Ca-rich, often hydrated silicate minerals. Rodingites have been recognized as a source of information on fluid compositions and their circulation in both ocean floor and subduction environments. Yet, the nature of the protoliths, the chemistry and the origin of fluids, the details of fluid-rock interaction, and the metamorphic context remain often obscure. This work investigates some of these questions in the case of rodingites from the Western Carpathians through petrological, mineralogical and geochemical studies. Rodingites are here associated in the field with serpentinized tectonically dismembered bodies of ultramafic rocks embeded into Carboniferous metasediments. They mostly consist of vesuvianite, diopside, and hydrated garnet with minor titanite, chlorite, epidote, calcite and FeTi oxides. Three successive hydrothermal events were recognized: 1) formation of diopside, vesuvianite and garnet, 2) formation of a second generation of vesuvianite and garnet together with titanite and minor chlorite, and 3) formation of a mineral assemblage consisting of epidote, chlorite and calcite. The first two events represent a pervasive and intense rodingitization process, whereas the third one represents late, channeled, fluid circulation under greenschist facies conditions. The presence of FeTi oxides influences the mineralogy and the whole rock chemistry of the investigated rodingites. Rutile and ilmenite are commonly associated with titanite and garnet, and whole rock analyses can reach up to 9.2 wt% TiO2. Vesuvianite and garnet also incorporate a significant amount of titanium. The lack of primary minerals, the mineral composition as well as high CaO and low SiO2 contents demonstrate high extent of Ca-metasomatism. The high modal amount of vesuvianite and the immobility of Al during metasomatic processes suggest that the protolith was relatively Al-rich. Taking into account the REE patterns of whole-rock and minerals, the high TiO2 content and the local Fe-Ti-rich accumulations, we suggest that the protoliths were more or less Fe-Ti-rich gabbroic rocks initially occurring in association with the serpentinized ultramafic body.

Support Systems, Strategies, and Self-Efficacy of Preschool Teachers in Handling Separation Anxiety

The study aimed to ascertain the support system, strategies, and self-efficacy of preschool teachers in handling learners' separation anxiety. It also determined the significant relationship between the support system and preschool teachers' self-efficacy. It also determined if there is a significant relationship between the strategies and the preschool teachers' self-efficacy. Descriptive and correlational method was used in the study. Moreover, the quantitative results were supported by a qualitative interview with the preschool teachers. The respondents of the study were the 127 preschool teachers in Sarangani Division. The instrument used was a researcher-made questionnaire validated by the experts and was pilot tested. The results showed that the teachers' support system was a moderate extent. Also, they have used overprotection, avoidance reinforcement, encouragement, and rewards to handle learners' separation anxiety to a great extent. Additionally, their self-efficacy is to a high extent. Lastly, the teachers shared the following success stories: enjoying the company of the learners, being a resourceful preschool teacher, showing love and compassion towards the learners, collaborating with the learners, and extending their Patience for the learners. Based on the results, the researcher developed an intervention program dubbed PROJECT SEPAX.

Stability Evaluation of Grid-Connected Microgrid Clusters in Asymmetrical Grids

Stability of grid-connected microgrids could be to a high extent guaranteed by designing a robust control system for inverters. However, this is not necessarily the case when microgrids are connected to an asymmetrical grid, where the grid impedance could have a different value in each phase. In this condition, the asymmetry of the grid impedance causes couplings between <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">αβ</i> - or <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">dq</i> -frames in the average model, and therefore, the control system could not be simplified as a single-input single-output system anymore. In this case, the system turns into a multi-input multi-output system, and therefore, stability evaluation of such a system consisting of several microgrids that form microgrid clusters with multiparallel inverters could be a challenging task, which needs heavy mathematical derivations. In this article, a straightforward method is used for modeling the grid-connected microgrid clusters, in which the asymmetry of the grid impedance has been considered. Based on this approach, all the inverters in a microgrid are lumped in a frequency-domain-based model using the inverters’ Norton equivalent models. Then, based on the derived model, the generalized Nyquist criterion is used to evaluate the stability of the whole system. The proposed method considerably reduces the mathematical burden, while accurately predicts the system stability. The experimental results in a small-scale test bench in the laboratory validate the accuracy of the proposed method.

ICT ADOPTION AND EFFECTS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING IN POST COVID-19, NIGERIA

With the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant devastating effects that have hampered every aspect of human existence; it becomes pertinent on the government, stakeholders, and the academia to invigorate possible measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic as it relates to teaching and learning; considering curtailing measures of the pandemic that restricted human contacts and social gatherings; hence the adoption of ICT by schools for teaching and learning. This is what necessitated this study, to ascertain the effect of ICT adoption in Nigerian schools in the post Covid-19 era. The study explored the purposive sampling technique of data collection. A wellstructured questionnaire was distributed to 250 students and 50 lecturers, selected from 5 chosen private universities in South-East Nigeria. The reliability of the instrument was determined using the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient. The study applied the mean, standard deviation, and the Pearson’s Correlation for data Analysis. The result revealed that ICT adoption has a significant positive effect on effective teaching and learning through the provision of various ICT tools in the post Covid-19 era in Nigeria; significant positive effect in mitigating the problems of Students-Teacher ratio (mostly in overcrowded classes), and also a significant positive effect in influencing teacher subjectmatter mastery and lesson preparedness. In furtherance, the result revealed that ICT adoption in schools has no significant effect on effective classroom management (through internal learning distractors’ mitigation), and also no significant effect on education affordability (through cost implication reduction). The study concluded that ICT adoption in schools, on the average, will influence effective teaching and learning in the post Covid-19 Nigeria to a high extent, and recommended among others the need for curriculum review by the Nigerian Government for ICT inclusion, to achieve effective teaching and learning in schools in the post Covid-19 Nigeria.

EXTENT AND PATTERN OF OFF-LABEL AND UNLICENSED DRUG UTILIZATION IN NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN THE TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Background &amp; Objectives: Many drugs that are used to treat children have not undergone evaluation to assure acceptable standards for optimal dose, safety and efcacy. As a result, drugs that are used to treat children are either not licensed for use in pediatric patients (unlicensed) or prescribed outside the terms of the product license (off-label).The extent of off-label and unlicensed drug use in neonates is unknown. Hence the purpose of the study is to determine the extent and pattern of off-label and unlicensed use of drugs amongst neonates in neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. A prospective study was carried Materials and Methods: out on 69 patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital for the period of ve months. Demographic data and complete prescriptions were noted in predesigned case record form. The off-label drugs were categorized by using National Formulary of India. Off-label drugs were classied in regards to their indications by using Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classication. The frequency was measured in terms of percentage and multiple binary logistic regressions were used for selecting confounding factors. A Results: total of 329 drugs were prescribed out of which 183(55.6%) were off-label and 65(19.8%) were unlicensed remaining 81(24.6%) labelled drugs. Most off-label drugs were prescribed for indication of alimentary tract (93.6%) and anti-infective (38.6%). Signicant confounding factors for prescription of unlicensed drugs were single diagnosis (OR 0.20, P&lt;0.05) and hospital stay (OR 1.30, P&lt;0.05) Common reasons for off-label prescribing were dosage 52.4% and age 23.2%. There was a high extent of utilization of off-label and unlicensed drugs. Hence Conclusion: , national drug regulatory authorities need to review and revise existing guidelines for safe administration of such drugs.